Miami-Dade Graduation Rate Hits High: Now Higher than Broward Schools

The number of students receiving a diploma four years after starting high school in Florida has hit an all time high, with a graduation rate of 80.1 percent in 2010-11. That's up from only 70.3 percent of students who graduated in 2007. Hispanic students and Miami-Dade students in particular have seen the graduation rates rise in the past half decade, and now put our neighbors to the north to shame.

Miami-Dade County has seen a particularly strong rise in graduation rates, according to the new report from the Florida Department of Education. In 2006-07 only 63.4 percent of students in the county were graduating within four years. Now that rate is up to 77.7 percent, just a few points below the state average. Miami-Dade has now for the first time in recent memory surpassed Broward's graduation rate, which sits at 76.5 percent.

The graduation rate in Miami-Dade is not equal for all races, though. Eighty-seven percent of white students and 79.4 of Hispanic/Latino students graduated within four years, while only 69.3 percent of black or African American students did.

Graduation rates for all minorities are up dramatically across the state: 72.3 percent of black or African American students are now graduating compared to 62.7 percent in '07. Meanwhile, 77.3 percent of Hispanic/Latino students are graduating on time compared to just 64.3 percent in '07.